Through 12 innings pitched in eight appearances, Arkansas Travelers right-hander Nick Duron had yet to allow a run in 2021.
That changed Saturday night as the Tulsa Drillers unleashed a four-run ninth inning with Duron on the mound, highlighted by Jeren Kendall's bases-clearing triple that gave the visitors a 7-5 come-from-behind victory at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
The Travs led 5-0 before the Drillers scored all seven runs over the final three innings to snap the Travelers' four-game winning streak. Rare home runs from Connor Kopach and Bobby Honeyman powered the Travs, who took their 5-0 lead in the fifth inning after Brian O'Keefe's RBI single.
Home runs from Tulsa's Jacob Amaya and Miguel Vargas in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, cut the advantage to 5-3 before Duron (2-1) unraveled in the ninth.
Drillers left-hander Jordan Martinson (1-1) allowed a hit and walk in one scoreless inning to earn his first win of the season.
Travs right-handed starter Devin Sweet struck out 9 Tulsa batters and allowed 2 runs in 62/3 innings, allowing the home run to Amaya before exiting.
Josh Morgan came home on a wild pitch in the first inning and Kopach added to the advantage with his two-run shot in the second before Honeyman's solo home run and O'Keefe's team-leading 27th RBI padded the lead in the fifth.
Duron retired the first two Drillers in the ninth and got two strikes on Steve Berman before walking the Tulsa catcher. He followed by walking Michael Busch and hitting Donovan Casey before Kendall's triple. Miguel Vargas drove in Kendall with a single one batter later.
The Travs host the Drillers for the final game of the six-game series at 2:10 p.m. today.
-- Eli Lederman